High-Impact Photography

Official day one

Yesterday we flew into Washington DC and arrived in time to check in and get on a bus for a tour of National Geographic headquarters followed by a reception. The tour was well worth the time and a must do. After the tour and lecture we were taken back to the Mandarin Oriental hotel for dinner and instructions for our departure.

I was quite disappointed with the Mandarin Oriental over night stay. The service was great, but the hotel was lacking in ambiance and noise insulation. Nevertheless, we managed to wrangle a couple of hours sleep despite the train and the noise from the room above ours. On the plus side, I’ve never experienced such great water pressure in both the bath and shower.

The National Geographic Expedition team really runs an organized operation! We were shuffled from hotel to airport to flight without consequence. As of the moment of drafting this post we are flying over the Panama Canal. This view is accompanied by a geographical historical lecture by expert David Silverberg. Periodically throughout the flight we are educated through lectures with the National Geographic experts which accompany us throughout the journey.

I was served the most scrumptious in flight lunch consisting of tomato and mozzarella salad, roasted chicken breast stuffed with Boursin cheese and wrapped in pancetta, dauphinoise potato, and vegetables. For dessert was a chocolate and raspberry desire, which is a delightful white and dark chocolate mouse topped with raspberries.

The Thomson 757 has been customized to accommodate all 80 passengers in first class style. A nap in the first class seat is an easy feat and the thing to do before arrival in Peru. The Larco Herrera Museum will be the first stop followed by hotel suite check in and dinner.